February 13, 2025

California Sheriff Thomas Cunningham

Thomas Cunningham was an Irish immigrant, he was Stockton’s fire chief, twice a councilman, and a remarkably courageous and competent sheriff during the Wild West era of 1872-99.

Thomas Cunningham was born in Clonberla, Killashee on 17th August 1836 the youngest of seven children to Thomas Cunningham and Winifred Conway. At the age of 10 years and at the height of the Great Famine he emigrated with relatives to the United States.

It is likely that his journey to the U.S. began as a walk from Clonberla or on horse and cart to the Royal Canal at Killashee where he would have met the boat to ferry him to Dublin, onto Liverpool and then to Queenstown and across the Atlantic. He originally settled in Brooklyn, NY with his sisters and trained as a harness maker with a brother-in-law while studying at night school. Seven years later he moved to California and settled in Stockton, San Joaquin County where two of his sisters were living. He was married in this city in 1861. In 1872 he was elected Sherriff of Stockton. In fact, he was recognized as one of the most outstanding law enforcement officers in the history of California.

He was responsible for capturing the notorious stagecoach outlaw Black Bart on November 13th 1883, 10 days after the last robbery. Sheriff Cunningham took Black Bart into custody, where he eventually appeared before a judge in San Andreas, California and was convicted to 6 years in San Quentin State Prison.

Sheriff Thomas Cunningham built the first modern and humane prison in 1893 and was quickly dubbed by locals as Cunningham’s Castle due to the ornate look of the three story, 75 inmate capacity prison. The prison finally closed it’s doors in 1958 and has been declared Stockton Historical Landmark.

Sheriff Thomas Cunningham was remarkable for his humanitarian approach in dealing with those under his authority and his meticulous detail in record­keeping. Cunningham’s work served as a model for other law agencies. Certainly, he was one of San Joaquin County’s most notable figures. Sheriff Thomas Cunningham retired in January 1899 after twenty-seven years of service.

“Few ever escaped from him, once he set out of on their trail,” historian Theodosia Benjamin wrote.

Sheriff Thomas Cunningham’s headstone reads:

“Faithful toiler, thy work all done,
Beautiful soul, into glory gone; 
Virtuous life, with the crown now won,
God giveth thee rest.”

My wife’s family, the Killian’s are from Clonberla, Killashee which is to say it’s a very small rural Irish hamlet. We do believe Thomas Cunningham is a close relative and my interest in writing this story was based on my wife’s own research and family stories.

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